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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28718631">Don't Trust your Five Senses</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpressofKingfishers/pseuds/EmpressofKingfishers'>EmpressofKingfishers</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fae &amp; Fairies, Monsters, Original Character(s), POV First Person, Supernatural - Freeform, Supernatural Elements, nosleep, posted on NoSleep, slight fantasy elements, woods</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:55:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,626</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28718631</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpressofKingfishers/pseuds/EmpressofKingfishers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There are things in this world that can fool you by messing with your five senses. And I now I'm trapped.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Don't Trust your Five Senses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In theory, the five senses are reliable. Without our senses, humanity never would have evolved and survived. Back, when humans were first born, they relied heavily on the senses to survive. Even I admit that the five senses were responsible for humans managing to survive the early days.</p><p>But the five senses are only reliable for mundane things.</p><p>There are… things in this world that can manipulate us by tricking our senses. They disguise themselves by using glamour that fools humans. We’re not strong enough to fight back against them.</p><p>I should know. I was tricked.</p><p> </p><p>"You shouldn't be going off-trail in this kind of weather,” Dad had said on speakerphone, “The mist will get you lost.”</p><p>I had told Dad yesterday that I was going out to hike in the woods. “I’m not going to get lost,” I had responded, “I’m just going to walk a mile or two and come back to the main path. I’ll be fine.” I jinxed myself right then and there.</p><p>I did what I told Dad- walk a mile or two, walking along an old deer path I saw, before turning back around and going back to the major trail. I didn’t deviate, I didn’t walk around a tree or boulder, and I didn’t trip and caused myself to get disoriented. I walked in a straight line, turned around, and started walking back.</p><p>At first, I wasn’t worried. I did walk a mile or so, so it would take me a while to get back. But, upon checking my smartwatch, an hour had passed, and I still hadn’t reached the trail.</p><p><em>Ok, </em>I thought, fighting down panic, <em>I must have walked further than I initially thought. I just need to stay calm and continue walking.</em></p><p>But more time passed, and still, I hadn't reached the trail.</p><p>“Fuck,” I whispered, “Did I get lost?” I should have listened to Dad. When the forecast called for warm weather, I leaped at the chance to go hiking. I had missed hiking, so of course, I wanted to get at least one hike in before the cold came back again. When I first woke up and saw the mist, I was half tempted to call the hike off. But, the mist would eventually clear out, so why wait until then? Right when I had hopped into my car, Dad called my phone to warn me about the mist. “I should have listened to him,” I groaned, burying my face in my hands.</p><p>If I managed to get home, I wouldn’t tell him that he had been right.</p><p>All I could do now was walk some more. I checked my watch. It was now 12pm. If I hadn’t reached the main trail by 2pm, I would take a break to figure out my next plan.</p><p>I was on the right path, and yet, it was leading me nowhere. In November, I came to the woods to get one last hike in before cold, unpleasant weather came. I was on the main trail and had taken a moment to pause, tying my shoelace. I noticed an old deer path branching off from the trail. It wasn’t a well-used path, and I had the idea to walk on it, see where it led to.</p><p>At the time, I decided not to venture into the unknown, I had told myself to walk on the main trail and get some pictures. Not to mention, the deer path would be home to many ticks, poison ivy, and other bugs lurking on the plants.</p><p>So that brings us back to the present day. I was lost because I ventured into the unknown on a misty day. Foresight is not my strongest suit, ok?</p><p>“Please bring me back to the trail,” I said to the earth, feeling a bit stupid, “I just want to go home.” I was staring down at the path, almost expecting it to magically turn into the larger, dirt path that would lead back to the parking lot.</p><p>I looked up and was surprised to see a wooden house in front of me. There were several other houses nearby, and I realized I was looking at a village.</p><p><em>What the hell?</em> I thought, baffled. <em>What’s a village doing here? I didn’t even know there was a village here!</em> I briskly walked forwards, walking past the houses. The wooden houses seemed old, yet I could see the glow of electricity behind closed curtains, and the shadowy images of the house owners inside, minding their own business. Coming to a halt, I stood on the sidewalk in front of the row of houses, gawking.</p><p>A whole village, in the middle of the woods. I felt like I had just walked into another world.</p><p>“Um, hello???” a voice asked, startling me. I turned to face its owner. A girl about the age of fifteen stared back at me, with large brown eyes, and a scattering of freckles ran across her nose. “Do you need help?”</p><p>“Y… yes!” I said, composing myself, “I was out hiking and got a bit lost. I stumbled upon your village and… well…” I hesitated, “I’m a bit surprised to see there’s a community here. I thought the nearest town was, like, ten miles from the start of the woods.”</p><p>“We get that a lot,” the girl said with a laugh, “Not many people know this place exists. It’s understandable, really. We’re really secluded. You can’t leave right now. The main road closes at night and only opens back up around 10am.”</p><p>"But it's almost 1pm," I said, looking down at my watch. I was surprised to see it was only 8:20am. The last time I checked it was almost 12pm! Or had it been 10am? Or was I losing it? I glanced up at Missy, who was observing me. She saw the confusion on my face.</p><p>“So, I guess you do need help. Come on, let’s head to my house! My parents can help you. We’re also going to have a meal soon, so come join us!”</p><p>I hesitated. Would her parents really not care that their daughter brought home a stranger from the woods? Hadn’t they taught her stranger danger? Although a bit put off by her lack of caution, I nodded my head, going, “Sure, I’ll come with you.”</p><p><em>‘Her family probably doesn’t mind because they’re serial killers,’</em> a tiny voice in my head whispered, ‘<em>They’re going kill you and eat you up for breakfast.’</em></p><p><em>Oh, shut up, </em>I scolded the voice, <em>Just because this little girl is inviting me to eat breakfast at her house doesn’t mean she and her family are cannibalistic serial killers. Stop being so damn morbid.</em></p><p><em>‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you,’ </em>the tiny voice snickered.</p><p>Eagerly, Missy grabbed my hand and tugged me forwards, leading me down the street, chattering away about her friends and the adventures they went on. By the time we reached her house, my head was aching. “Welcome to my house,” Missy announced, opening the door, “Mother! Father! I’m home! I also brought a friend! We want food!”</p><p>Her father was the first one to greet us. “Let me guess,” he said, taking in my clothes, “Got lost in the woods?” When I nodded, he chuckled, “Yep, I knew it. You’re not the first person to stumble on this village. Missy, go help your mother prepare food for our guest.”</p><p>“Yes sir,” she said, running past us, pigtails flying.</p><p>“…” her father lowered his voice, “I don’t want to make you worry, but you should really not be here.”</p><p>“W… why’s that?” I stammered, already worried.</p><p>He opened his mouth to continue, but a new voice floated out to us. "Darling! Come, bring her to the kitchen! I want to meet her!” He sighed and walked to the kitchen. I followed him, this time a bit more cautious. What did he mean, I shouldn’t be here? Was the village xenophobic or something?</p><p>‘<em>The whole village is going to kill you!’ </em>the tiny voice was back, <em>‘Like Children of the Corn! They’re going to kill you!</em>’ Oh my god, was everyone’s subconscious this damn macabre? This isn’t even a village of creepy kids!</p><p>Missy’s mom was absolutely beautiful. Missy clearly got her warm, brown eyes and silky black hair from her mother. She had flawless white skin, a jaw-dropping smile, and a to die for body.</p><p>“You’re gawking at my wife,” Missy’s father said, playfully elbowing me. He seemed back too normal, "I know she's beautiful but stop it, I'm standing right here."</p><p>“Oh, come now,” Missy’s mother said, “She’s not doing anything wrong. Hi, I’m Isabelle. That’s my husband, Dirk. What’s your name?”</p><p>“Stella,” I said, allowing myself to be escorted to the table that sat in the middle of the kitchen. “I was following an old deer path in the woods and somehow got lost. Thankfully, I stumbled upon your village and Missy came to my rescue. I can’t wait for breakfast, I’m starving.”</p><p>“Just wait a few minutes,” Isabelle said, turning her back on us, “Breakfast will be done soon. By the time we’re done, the main road will open up.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you so much for the meal,” I said, handing Isabelle my plate. “Honestly, I’ve never had such delicious food! You could run a restaurant, you know that?” The conversation we had while eating was pleasant, with Isabelle gushing about how amazing the village was.</p><p>“Aw, you’re making me blush,” Isabelle took the plate and started washing it, “You probably think it tastes good because you were hungry. I only get the freshest ingredients from the farmer’s market. We have several good farmers who raise the best crops and livestock. You should be thanking them; they give us the best food. You should probably get going if you want to be there when the main road opens back up. Missy! You’re in charge of taking Stella there, got it?”</p><p>“Yes ma’am,” Missy said, once more grabbing my hand. I noticed for the first time how remarkably soft her hand was. “Come on!”</p><p>“Bye!” I called over my shoulder as Missy rushed me out of the house. I could hear her parents saying goodbye. “I do want to go home, but let’s slow down, yeah?” I was almost stepping on Missy’s heels. “The road isn’t going anywhere.”</p><p>“We’re not going to the main road,” Missy said, “It’s never opening. We need to get you to the spot where we first met.”</p><p>“What?! Missy, what do you mean the main road is never going to open? Are you messing with me?” I nearly crashed into Missy, who suddenly stopped in her tracks. She ushered me into the gap between two houses. “What’s going on?”</p><p>“You’re, kind of… um, trapped here,” Missy nervously said, “Like, trapped, trapped. Stuck in a cage, trapped. You can ‘leave’ the village by walking down the main road, but you’ll end up looping back here. The only way to really leave is by exiting through the place you entered, and you only have one shot at successfully leaving. If you take the wrong way, you’ll be stuck here forever.”</p><p>“… if you’re telling the truth,” I slowly said, “Why didn’t you tell me to turn around and leave?” I was curious. This seemed too oddly specific for a prank, and Missy looked really serious.</p><p>“You can’t just turn around and leave,” she explained, “You’d walk about a mile, then end up back here. You need to eat cooking done by a Fae to trick the village into thinking you’re going to stay, and it’ll release its grip on you. So, you can slip out from where you came from and leave!” This time, she ushered me out from the gap, “Father told me what to do!”</p><p>“Fae?” I asked, flustered, “You mean fairy? I ate fairy cooking?”</p><p>“Sort of,” Missy said, “Mother isn’t a fairy, but she’s not human. The food she gets was grown by fairies. This village uses glamours to fool your senses- to make everything seem normal. But now that you’ve eaten fairy food, you’ll really see the village and what it is, now. Father was just like you- he stumbled upon the village and got trapped here. Granted, he’s happy to stay. But we both know you won’t be happy here, so we have to get you… oh no.”</p><p>Before us, lurking near the spot where I entered the village was a hideous creature. It stood on two legs, looking somewhat humanoid. Although hunched over, I could tell it was tall, taller than the average man. It had a lithe, cat-like body. It was missing the fur, muzzle, and tail of a cat, though. Its long arms dangled by its side.</p><p>“You go behind the houses,” Milly instructed, “I’ll lead the Guardian away. Remember, you have to escape through where you entered, got it? Before we left, I put down a hair tie on the sidewalk to mark the place. Go!”</p><p>She waited for me to duck between two houses, before running towards the Guardian. As I crept behind the houses, I could hear little tidbits of her conversation with the ghastly beast.</p><p>“… lost sight of her… she’s blonde… yeah… doesn’t know…” I caught a glimpse of Missy walking away, holding the creature’s hand. Despite the situation I was in, I couldn’t help but be amused by Missy’s habit of grabbing hands, regardless of who or what owned those hands. When they were far away enough, I popped out and went back on the sidewalk.</p><p>I searched the ground and spotted the hair tie Missy mentioned. Sending a silent prayer of thanks to Missy and Dirk, I hurried into the woods, relieved I managed to get out free.</p><p>When I looked down at my watch, I was relieved to see time was working again. It was 5:50pm, and already the change was instant. The woods were dark now, which clearly meant I was outside of the village bubble, right? And it got darker as night began to fall.</p><p>Five seconds later, and I was already back at the same spot I had just walked away from. The glamour must have hidden how late in the day it was, and the time on my watch. As if taunting me, the Guardian Missy had tried to distract greeted me, Missy’s hair tie dangling in its clawed hand. Missy, who was standing next to it, looked ready to burst into tears. “It moved the hair tie,” she said, “I’m sorry, Stella. You’re stuck here now.” She sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.</p><p>‘You think you’re so clever,’ the Guardian said, a sneer in its deep voice, ‘But the Village is smarter than you. You can fight all you want, but you’re never leaving here. Little Girl, take your friend and go home. She’ll need to learn our ways.” It roughly shoved her forwards, and Missy somberly took my hand.</p><p>“Come on,” she quietly said.</p><p> </p><p>I was advised by Dirk to not try to fight against the village. It’d only whittle away at my sanity, the village likes toying with people who try leaving, he said. “You can visit towns and your family,” he told me, “But only for two days, max. You’ll start dying if you stay away too long.”</p><p>I still have contact with the outside world via the internet and my phone, which is how I’m writing this.</p><p>I’m not asking for help, I don’t want anyone else to get stuck here, but I just want to warn you.</p><p>There are things in this world that can make us blind and deaf to their true nature. If something seems off, don’t trust your senses. Trust only your gut instinct, and you’ll survive.</p>
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